Critter Corral
by Royfeliciano
Summary: Sequel to Doctor Who Black Rain, but can be read independently. It has been raining on Planet Earth non-stop for almost an entire year. For most, a new norm takes over where the daily rain becomes a part of life. For others, the never ceasing rain is seen as a sign of the end and they begin to put faith in a strange man who has the ability to cause miracles.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Eagle

Orbiting a yellow dwarf star is a small blue planet that will be known throughout the Universe as Planet Earth. The megacities of The Great and Bountiful Human Empire will be the center for the trades of goods and ideas all around the cosmos. But that is still very far off. Currently they are just beginning their survey of the Universe. Still tethered by the constraint of their archaic technology, humans have only stepped foot as far as they're nearest satellite, Earth's only Moon. But they are always curious, and always trying to push the envelope. Probes leaving the planet show them snap shots of what is outside of their tiny solar system. And little boys and girls inherit the curiosity of their parents and make their own plans to travel among the stars.

Unfortunately for the humans, the mysteries outside of their planet have been put on the back burner. You see, for almost an entire Earth year, it has not stopped raining. The day of first rainfall was December 11th 2017, and since then everywhere on the planet has been experiencing some degree of rainfall at all times. Earth's scientists have no explanation for it, and multiple summits have been held to compare notes on the matter. Notions on rewriting the way we look at the water cycle and how our atmosphere recycles water have been proposed. Low elevation areas have experienced flooding, leaving millions of people all around the globe homeless. That being said, the planets' governments have been doing an exemplary job of relocating people and dealing with the massive flooding. For some, the constant rain has become a regular part of life. Commuters go on with their nine to five jobs; they just make sure they are equipped with an umbrella. Rain ponchos are now very fashionable, and all the hottest designers are making sure to be a part of the craze. Others fear the unceasing rain as a harbinger of the end of days. They recount stories of floods wiping out life on early Earth, and hold deeper onto their faith.

Up above the swirling clouds and rainfall of Planet Earth are a group of scientists working in the International Space Station. The ISS is a large and wondrous habitable satellite, where a group of three researchers have been performing research on the electromagnetic waves that emanate from the poles the planet. The satellite has been crewed by these three researchers for a little bit over a year and on today, December 9th 2018, they are supposed to go home. A beautiful cosmonaut in her younger 30's, Alanna Nolan, floats in the main module (Module Zarya) looking down at Planet Earth. Her cheeks sag down in a bored frown. She strokes her curly blonde hair and tucks her knees into herself as she floats in the zero gravity environment of the space station. She has to shield her eyes from the reflection of the sun on the silver solar arrays that flank the space station. This is a view she may never get the chance to see again, but still, all she wants to do is go home. She misses her house, she mises her fiancé, she misses gravity, and most of all she misses pizza! She continues to float around aimlessly as a ball of gray in her NASA jumpsuit.

"Six hours now! Come on!" yells Commander Kelley angrily as he demandingly enters the main, (as demandingly as someone can float into a room).

"Houston has given up on responding to us altogether now!" he exclaims.

Commander Ross Kelley is a large graying man in his early 50's with broad/ powerful shoulders that he kept as a remnant of his days playing College Football. He was quite the star in his day. All-American three years in a row, a fact he constantly reminded Alanna and Dr. Moldobaev any chance he could. They were captive audiences for Commander Kelley for a whole year, and Dr. Moldobaev was relatively quiet so most conversations went right back to the Rose Bowl of 1988.

Commander Kelley was ungracefully working the radio trying to get back into contact with Houston. He was frustrated, so many of his attempts to communicate ended with his fist pounding on the computer module. But Alanna understood his frustration! They had finished up preparations to go 20 hours ago, and the crew to relieve them was supposed to have arrived 6 hours ago. The last words they got from NASA were just to "Sit tight."

"Alanna!" Commander Kelley yelled with authority, "Keep watching the com channels. I swear I'll hop on Explorer and pop back to Earth even if Houston doesn't give me the go ahead!"

Alanna continued staring out at Earth, hoping to see the site of the Russian Space Shuttle coming to dismiss them. And that was when she saw it. A large black object made a pass over the Space Station. Then it appeared again, lining up right over the solar arrays on her left. It was a Space Shuttle, but not like one she had ever seen. It was small and black, and definitely not Russian. It was docking. She screamed for Commander Kelley and Dr. Moldobaev.

"It's docking on the Rassvet docking port!" Alanna said anxiously. And that it did. Commander Kelley tried to reassure us that the crew that this was all normal and that they were about to meet the team relieving them. But Alanna had a bad a feeling about this. First, no contact from Houston and then this weird ship arrives without warning! And the Shuttle was definitely not Russian. There was nothing they could do but watch the peculiar craft land. Thoughts flew through their heads like "How could they have gotten the access codes to dock?" It had been an anxious 20 minutes since the strange shuttle began its docking procedure.

The doors opened from the pressurized docking bridge that connected the docking bag to the rest of the ship. A large astronaut moved through the threshold to face the crew of the ISS. He wore a space suit that was entirely black and the tinted face shield of his helmet veiled his identity. The large astronaut slowly removed his helmet.

As the astronaut removed his helmet, the coms came back online and we heard the first sounds from Houston in almost 8 hours.

"Sorry about the delay everyone," started a static interfered voice from NASA. "How are we all doing?"

"Batman zdes!" exclaimed Dr. Askat Moldobaev in shock as the astronaut revealed himself to be none other than Batman. The masked crime fighter floated in the ISS in front of the crew.

Commander Kelly held out his hand to greet Batman. "It is truly a pleasure Mr. Batman, but I'm afraid you only take second place at being the strangest visitor we had today." At this, Commander Kelley pointed past Dr. Moldobaev and Alanna to a man who was floating around pointing a small silver tube at the radio.

"Told you I'd get it fixed!" cried the man. "Hello Houston!

He had just appeared as Batman's shuttle was docking. He had dark hair and brown skin. He wore a gray sweater vest over a white dress shirt. He wielded a tiny silver tube in his hand that shone a blue light and made a funny bubbling beeping sound. And somehow, he had gotten into contact with Houston!

"I'm sorry, what was that about Batman?" asked the voice from NASA, this time the voice came in much clearer.

"Nothing important," said the strange visitor. "A guy dressed up as a giant black bat appears and everyone loses focus!"

"Excuse me? Who is this?" came the voice from NASA over the radio.

"I'm the Doctor," said the strange visitor with a tinge of irritation in his voice.

"Dr. Moldobaev?" asked the man from NASA.

The Doctor held his head in his hand. "You are asking too many questions, and none of them are the right ones. I only need to know one thing from you Mr. NASA man – is it still raining down there?"

As The Doctor and the man from NASA were talking, Batman was talking quietly in the corner to Commander Kelley. When they were done Commander Kelley stepped forward to address us.

"Batman here needs us to cooperate with something he is doing," the Commander started. "He needs to swab our hands with this… thingy. He promises it isn't painful, and then he will be on his way."

Batman was preparing a small silver box and held a series of white tabs. Commander Kelley went first, and Batman swabbed his hand with the tab and placed it in the silver box. A small light on the upper corner of the box glowed green.

"See, it's painless. Alanna, come over here!" ordered Commander Kelley with authority.

Alanna floated over hesitatingly and got her hand swabbed. She felt strange standing that near to Batman. Alanna lived in Gotham City her whole life and had never even seen a glimpse of him. She was experiencing a bit of fear, but she was mostly star struck. Batman placed the tab into the box, and the light glowed green.

"Dr. Moldobaev!" screamed The Commander.

Dr. Moldobaev was standing next to The Doctor and looked very uneasy. Dr. Moldobaev was the same age as Commander Kelley, but nowhere near as commanding. He was a quiet, intellectual man and he moved over to the others very warily. He handed Batman his hand, though it was shaking wildly. Batman then swabbed Dr. Moldobaev's hand and placed the tab in the box. The light on the box blinked red.

At this, Batman grabbed Dr. Moldobaev's hand and twisted it around his back. Alanna yelled at him to stop and started to move towards them. Commander Kelley held her back, the lack of gravity made it easy for him.

"Commander Kelley!" Alanna yelled, "What is going on!"

"I don't know Alanna, but we have to let Batman do what he has to do."

Batman restrained Dr. Moldobaev's hands with a black restraint, and began to lead him back to his shuttle.

"Oh, umm… Not so fast!" said The Doctor with authority. "I thought Earth treated it's visitors much better than this."

Batman didn't even pause to listen to the words The Doctor said.

"I am talking to you!" yelled The Doctor.

At this The Doctor raised his tiny silver tube up into the air. With a shine of blue light, there was a violent shake in the Space Station and it felt as if gravity had returned. Batman, Dr. Moldobaev, Commander Kelly, and Alanna were all sent flying up to the ceiling of the Space Station. Alanna looked out the window and could see the solar arrays bending and the entire station appeared red hot. The Doctor and Batman stood and stared each other in the eye, as the sudden force of gravity glued everyone to the ceiling, which was now the center of gravity, and therefore the floor.

"Now that I have your attention!" The Doctor started very calmly and confidently, "I am dragging this Space Station, at a very unfavorable angle, into the planet. I estimate about 4 minutes until it completely burns up in the atmosphere… We won't last nearly that long."

"What do you want?" asked Batman after a long pause.

"All I want is for you to promise me Dr. Moldybread will be safe. You won't lay a hand on him and you will let me prove his innocence."

The solar arrays were completely burnt off and the glass of the front window was beginning to crack. All the lights in the station had gone off, equipment was flying in every direction, and Alanna was sure she was going to die.

"I promise," said Batman in a low voice.

The Doctor snapped his fingers, and the space station stopped plummeting. They were all sent slamming back to the floor, and then were floating in zero gravity again. The lights came back on and Alanna could see that the window was no longer cracked. Actually, the solar arrays were still attached. The equipment that was sent flying around the room had returned to where it originally was. It was as if nothing had happened. Batman picked Dr. Moldobaev off of the floor and brought him into his craft, looking back at The Doctor the whole time. The Doctor waved him off with a smile.

"Why did he take Askat?" screamed Commander Kelley

"Oh, Dr. Moldy-bread is an alien. But that isn't the right question," replied The Doctor.

"What do you mean the right question!" screamed Commander Kelley annoyed.

"He means, 'Why now?'" said Alanna. "Why did he take Dr. Moldobaev _now_, and not when we landed?"

"Yes! Yes, now that is the right question!" exclaimed The Doctor excited.

The Doctor floated towards Alanna and held both of her hands, quite awkwardly. He then looked into her eyes.

"Alanna Nolan," The Doctor said admiringly. "Oh! I see it! I see a girl who pushed her bike to the top of the tallest hill in town and then rode it all the way down at the speed of light. I see a brave warrior who entered a house everyone on the block thought was haunted, even when all the silly boys ran away and left you on that doorstep alone. I see an adventurer who escaped to the stars because her job at the University was getting too stuffy."

Alanna was a little freaked out. It was as if he was reading her past. He let go of her hands and turned to another docking bay. He walked through the first doors and began to try and open the airlock. Alanna and Commander Kelley both knew that the airlock wouldn't open unless he closed the first airlock door of the docking bay door behind him, but The Doctor continued anyway.

"Wait, Doctor. That won't work," Alanna started. But The Doctor persisted shined his small blue flashlight, that Alanna would later learn is called a Sonic Screwdriver, and the airlock door began to open. Alanna and Commander Kelley both began to reach for something to hold onto. If the second airlock door opened up, they would all be pulled out into the vacuum of space. But the door did open, and they did not get sucked out. Instead, they were staring into open space behind The Doctor. Stars stretched out on the other side of the door threshold unadulterated. The Doctor saluted and jumped out into open space and disappeared.

The Commander and Alanna looked at each other. They were in amazement. But after all the things that had occurred in the last 15 minutes, things like this were getting easier to believe. Alanna floated over to the docking bay and looked behind to see Commander Kelley.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked accusingly.

Alanna smiled and jumped out as well. She was floating in outer space without a space suit. She breathed in out of curiosity, and it was fresh air.

"How?" she asked herself outloud.

"Oh Alanna, this is only the beginning" Said The Doctor sitting on top of a floating blue police telephone box!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Nightjar

The citizens of Gotham City are no strangers to bad weather. But the city was not prepared for the mysterious non-ceasing rain that has been occurring over the past year. Substantial flooding in some of Gotham's lower elevation districts has lead to Gotham City Police Department running into hurdles relocating these residents. Gotham City has been shrinking week by week. This also means that the crime in Gotham City has become more concentrated. Crime families are literally stepping on each others' toes trying to establish new territories in a smaller Gotham City. And tonight, up above the flooded/crowded streets of Gotham City, a figure gracefully vaults the dark rooftops.

The young/masked hero dressed in black, known as Nightwing, nimbly leaps from roof to roof. The ledges are wet and it is raining hard. He keeps this is mind as he tucks his legs in, mid-jump, and prepares for a landing. He hits the ledge with the grace of a cat and lands on all fours. He uncoils with the power of a cobra down into the dark streets below. He hears a woman's voice come in on the communication device in his ear as he falls.

"Nightwing," says the woman's soft voice. "Are you finished up at Arkham?"

A small fire had broken out at Arkham Asylum two hours ago and a couple of patients took this opportunity to stage a break out. Nightwing recovered most of the escapees, but could not continue the pursuit because of more pressing matters. Yep, only in Gotham City can something more dangerous be occurring that you can say, "Yeah, we'll let a couple of criminal psychopaths go free."

Nightwing still in free-fall reaches out his arms to grab a streetlight. He spun around in four times – remembering his training as an acrobat on the horizontal bar. The streetlight was slippery, and he was spinning much faster than he thought he would. He calculated the angle he would need and released his hands to fly up at a 45 degree angle across a busy intersection. He landed on a fire escape and responded to the voice in his head.

"Hey Barbara, I can't really talk right now" he replied.

"Damn it," she exclaimed frustrated. "On this channel you are supposed to call me _Oracle_. Okay _Nightwing_!"

He always enjoyed making her upset, but today he was feeling a little overwhelmed. Batman had been gone for the past two nights. He remembered hearing Barbara say that he went into space, but Nightwing assumed it was just a joke.

"Ok _Oracle_" he started with sarcasm, "What can I do you for?"

"This is serious," she sighed, "Batman wants us to look into these spikes in electromagnetic radiation that have been occurring throughout the city. He thinks it could be related to the rain."

Nightwing continued climbing the fire escape and could see the faces of families sitting down to dinner lit up by their television screens. He was shortly on the rooftops again and could see his destination only a few blocks away. He moved into the sprint he would need to make his next landing.

"Listen Bar… Oracle. As I said before, tonight is a little bit hectic. I'll look into it in the morning. Where are these EM spikes occurring?"

"Well that's what I want to talk to you about.," she replied "The first one occurred at Arkham, just before the fire tonight. I am going to head over there now."

"I don't think that is a good idea," Nightwing started. He didn't feel comfortable about Barbara being in the field. A few years ago, one of Batman's most dangerous enemies waged war against all of their allies. One of the results was Barbara being shot and paralyzed from the waist down. Nightwing didn't like the idea of Barbara helplessly wheeling around Askham Asylum at night.

"Aww, you still worry about me. What would your new girlfriend think?" she teased. The two of them had a past, but Barbara had pulled away from him after her accident and during her transformation into The Oracle. She has been hiding in her books, not allowing anyone to come close.

"Of course I still worry. Listen this is…"

"I know, not a good time," she interrupted. "But before you go, about your new girlfriend."

"This isn't really the time for this _Barbara_!"

"No _Nightwing,_ you misunderstand. It's about the second Electromagnetic spike. I was hoping we could use your girlfriend's help because the second spike occurred at-"

"Gotham General!" Nightwing interrupted as he finally arrived at his destination; Gotham General Hospital. Outside of the hospital was complete mayhem. There must have been 40 cop cars and SWAT Trucks. Men in Hazmat suits setting up tents and putting yellow tape to block the streets that led to the ginormous building that took up 5 square city blocks. The Bat-signal shone against dark clouds above the hospital. Police Commissioner Gordon stood in the center of the mayhem holding a bullhorn and ordering men around. Nightwing landed with cat-like grace onto a SWAT truck above the Commissioner.

"What happened, big man still on vacation?" asked The Commissioner.

Commissioner Gordon let Nightwing in on what was happening. "Got the report from a nurse who made it out alive. A man was brought into the hospital by EMS about an hour ago complaining of shortness of breath. Name Marvin Marburg. He was sitting in the Emergency Room and saying some weird things to himself. Rocking back and forth, talking about the end of days… You know the type. So a security guard came over to ask him to leave. He touched the security guard's face and the security guard just spontaneously dropped dead. In seconds, he dropped! He hit the ground and was bleeding from his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. People came to the guard's aid, but Marvin wouldn't let them. He touched them too. One by one; nurses, orderlies, security guards, and other patients… They all died the same way, each one quicker than the last. The nurse that got away said that he grabbed her arm over her scrubs, so we think whatever he is transmitting needs to travel skin to skin. That's why I'm not wearing gas masks like these other chickens!" He said that last part a little louder than he had to.

"Okay Commissioner, where is he now?"

"He is on the fourth floor, East Wing. He locked himself in a patient's room with one of the hospital's counselor's."

At this Nightwing ran into the building. He saw bodies on the floor, bodies hanging off of the reception desks, bleeding faces, blood pooling onto the white tile floors… He took the stairs on the right to the fourth floor. His new girlfriend just got a job at Gotham General Hospital as a counselor. He tried to push that idea out of his mind as he raced up the stairs. Had to stay professional and not let his emotions in. It was one of the first things Bruce taught him. He leaped over a security guard's dead body on the staircase. The poor man must have tried to escape. The fourth floor was no exception with a line of bodies, mostly patients, leading to a door at the end of the East Wing.

Nightwing clenched his fist as he turned into the door. He stood in the doorway, no time for stealth or anything flashy. He faced Mr. Marburg head on. The man stood in the back of a patient's room with his back to the back wall and facing the door Nightwing entered from. He stood there shaking violently, with dark-sickly sunken in eyes. He wore a thick green winter coat, but Nightwing could see from his face that he was very skinny. His cheekbones were poking out an unhealthy amount and his skin was extremely pale. And he was not alone. He had one arm around a young woman's neck, and the other supported a scalpel that he held to her neck.

The young hero breathed a small sigh of relief at realizing that this was not indeed his girlfriend. Where his new girlfriend has red hair – this girl had blonde and curly hair. But strangely enough, Nighwing noticed that this woman was wearing his girlfriend's name tag. It read "Erin Crehan." But this was not his Erin. This woman was unknown to Nightwing. But we know her as our beautiful adventurous astronaut, Alanna Nolan. She had infiltrated Gotham General Hospital before the Electromagnetic Spike and she was now cursing The Doctor's name in her head. He made promises of traveling through time and space and here she is with a scalpel to her neck!

"I was hoping for The Batman," Marvin said in a slow voice.

"Yeah, he's disappointing a lot of people today," responded Nightwing.

Nightwing slowly began to enter the room. It had two hospital beds. The first was turned over and the second was pushed to the side of the room. Behind Marvin and Alanna was a large window with a view of the hospital courtyard beneath.

"You don't understand," Marvin started again. "I need to talk to Batman. There is a new world order happening. You see it is the rain! Tiny little bugs are in the rain. They ride the rain drops and land on our brains and in our drinking water!"

Marvin started to get louder. Nightwing made eye contact with Alanna and tried to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. She was surprisingly calm.

"And now we are all infected!" Marvin screamed. He was getting louder. "And I have been chosen to help usher in a new age!"

Barbara's voice came back into Nightwing's ear. "I'm reading here that Marvin just lost his family. They got caught by stray bullets in a gang was over the area West of Harriet. A wife and two little girls. It was less than a week ago."

Nightwing continued to enter the room and get closer to the Marvin and his captive. The scalpel then flew across the room, landing into the wall an inch from the young hero's face.

"DO NOT TRY AND TRICK ME!" Marburg screamed. "I am in control now!"

"Marvin, listen to me," Nightwing started.

"NO! YOU WILL BE DOING THE LISTENING!" he screamed. "I am no longer Marvin Marburg! You can call me Vector! I am the one who will choose who stays and who leaves this planet! And I choose that you Miss Crehan are not welcome into the new world!"

Nightwing lept across the room, but was too late. Marvin had now touched his bare hand on Alanna's face. He let go of the grip he had on her to let her fall to the ground. But she didn't fall. Instead she gave him a swift elbow to the stomach. Then she followed it with a punch to the face. She wound up her fist for a third hit, but Nightwing interrupted and grabbed her arm. Marvin now on his knees in the middle of the room could not comprehend what just occurred.

"I don't understand? There is a new world order! This world is supposed to be mine and everyone on it should bow to me! Everything the water touches is mine!"

"Sorry buddy," Alanna interrupted, "But I haven't been home for a while. I've been on a steady diet of recycled Space Station water."

Vector got up off of the ground and began to walk towards them, but a swift kick by Nightwing sent him back into the rear window. It didn't break, but the hit was hard enough to cause stress cracks. Vector began to shake even more violently. Alanna and Nightwing could see something moving underneath his jacket. His jacket burst open and what looked like two giant alien millipedes were fighting for space on his torso. They squirmed around his body making a disturbing clicking sound. Vector's skin then started to peel off. His sunken-in eyes began to bulge out. Underneath Vector's skin was a hard, thick, and green exoskeleton. His fingers became sharp claws. Spikes started to emerge out of his back.

"Another Electromagnetic Spike!" screamed Barbara in our young hero's ear. "Be careful!"

Alanna ran out of the room and screamed back, "West Wing – Courtyard! Bring him there!" And then Nightwing was alone with the monster known as Vector.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Swarm

Nightwing stood across the room from Marvin Marburg; the man with the death-touch. He entered Gotham General hospital a little over two hours ago and Nightwing followed a trail of bloody bodies to the fourth floor. Marvin already looked sickly with pale skin and sunken in eyes, but now his skin was starting to peel from his body. Where his skin abandoned him, a bright green exoskeleton showed underneath. His clothes ripped apart as what looked like two giant alien millipedes fought for real estate on his torso. The young masked hero looked in horror as Marvin's transformation continued. His fingers became sharp claws and pointed insect-like mandibles protruded from Marvin's face.

"Another Electromagnetic Spike!" screamed Oracle in our young hero's ear. "Be careful!"

Alanna ran out of the room and screamed back, "West Wing – Courtyard! Bring him there!" And then Nightwing was alone with the monster known as Vector.

One of the millipede creatures shot out from Vector's torso and coiled around Nightwing's waste. It lifted him up and with a flick, shot him out of the window. Nightwing reacted quickly and reached to his belt for his grappling hook. He fired it at the nearest window he saw, slowing his descent. He still hit with a hard thump on his right side. Nightwing looked up at the dark sky from his back. Cold rain washed down onto his face as he assessed his damage. He looked back up at the window he was thrown through, and there Vector was - staring down at him.

"Dick are you alright!" came Oracle's voice in his ear. She called him by his name. He thought that was a bad sign.

Vector was shaking violently up at the fourth floor window of Gotham General Hospital. Nightwing looked around him and found that he was at the back of the Hospital. He thought it was his imagination at first, but Vector was slowly gliding down towards him. He was flying! He had grown a pair of thin insect wings. As Vector approached, the young hero could hear the clicking sounds of the two millipede creatures that wrapped around Vector. He struggled to get to his feet. It hurt to move. Nightwing realized that he may have had more than a couple of bruised or broken ribs on his right side.

Vector landed with a hard bang just as Nightwing got to his feet. The creature let out a terrifying shriek that made Nightwing want to run. A sound that undid all of the training that the young hero had undergone with Batman. A sound that made him retreat to his most primitive evolutionary senses; to run for his life.

"Nightwing! Get out of there!" came the voice of Oracle in his ear piece again. With a swing of one of Vector's large clawed arms, Nightwing was sent flying many yards from where he stood. He landed on the wet/muddy grass. Again he was looking up at the dark clouds, the bright lights of the hospital above him illuminating the storm clouds.

Together with Batman, Nightwing had faced some truly terrifying sights. Deranged psychopaths, super-powered mutants, alien invasions… But most of those occurred while he was still Robin, and this time he was alone. The clicking got louder, and Nightwing figured Vector was approaching his still prey item.

The young hero thought that his life was flashing before his eyes, because he kept reminiscing on his times as Robin. He thought about times where Batman was in a similar situation. It must have been 8 years ago - they were hunting Killer Croc in the sewers. The large, reptilian mutant had Batman cornered and was slashing into him with large claws. As Robin, he was sent back to the batmobile to recover a cryo-crystal; a doomsday weapon Mr. Freeze had developed the previous summer in an attempt to freeze all of Gotham City. Batman had this idea that since Killer Croc had a genome similar to that of a cold-blooded reptile, a sudden and drastic change in temperature would put him out of commission. Nightwing remembered running as hard as he could, knowing that every second he delayed was another second that Batman was getting torn apart. He finally retrieved the cryo-crystal and the water in the sewer they created a giant ice-box effect. Killer Croc's movements were dulled, and Batman was able to get the upper hand and take him down.

"If only I had a Robin to retrieve a cryo-crystal from the Batcave." Nightwing mused to himself. "Insects don't like the cold either." The clicking got louder and more numerous. Nightwing looked up to see that Vector was right over his body, but it wasn't the millipedes that were clicking anymore. Several of the sprinklers around the hospital had turned on, and even more water was pouring down on Nightwing and Vector. Nightwing didn't think much of it until a small black shape appeared behind Vector. It was a remote control drone that Batman had been developing. It flew over Vector and dropped something onto his back. Instantaneously ice crystals began to form all over Vectors body and froze him in place.

"Barbara?" he asked confused.

"Who else? Now wake up sunshine. Get to the West Courtyard!"

Vector's movements were sluggish, but he began to overcome the freezing process. He slowly dragged his feet through the muddy grass, towards the young hero. Nightwing got to his feet and began to run to the West Courtyard. He didn't know why, but he had no better plan of action. He turned the corner of the hospital and then saw that woman from earlier; the one who was wearing his girlfriend's name tag. She was standing with a man – average height and build, dark skin and hair, and wearing a gray sweater vest over a white dress shirt. The pair stood in the middle of a circle of 12 black poles, which created a ring with a diameter of about 15 yards. The poles each were dug into the ground and had a green blinking light on top. Nightwing heard Vector's wings begin to beat behind him. The young hero ran towards Alanna and The Doctor and their strange ring of black poles.

Vector was close behind Nightwing. Though his wings were beating, he could not get airborne. The splashes of muddy water got louder as he gained on the young hero. Finally Nightwing made it into the ring. As he did, The Doctor and Alanna ran out of it. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it towards the ring as Vector crossed it's threshold as well.

"Keep him in the ring!" screamed Alanna, still wearing Erin's name-tag.

"Easier said than done," Nightwing thought to himself as he dodged another slash from the monster. The Doctor's screwdriver lit up blue, with a mechanical bubbling sound, and the monster began to scream in agony. It trashed about in the circle trying to reach at Nightwing. The two millipede creatures flailed around in all directions. They managed to dislodge one of the poles. The lights on all of the poles went from flashing green to red. Vector stopped flailing around and regained his senses. Alanna quickly ran around the circle to the dislodged pole. Vector had figured out the trap and turned his sights towards Alanna. Nightwing jumped in front of the creature and with two swift kicks to the side, re-earned Vector's attention. Alanna managed to return the pole to its spot and the lights turned green again.

Again, the creature writhed in torment as The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver sent a signal that blocked the Electromagnetic signal from reaching Vector. Vector, currently dazed and in pain again, set his sights towards leaving the circle. Nightwing faked a punch right, and turned into a mighty spin kick. The creature's tough exoskeleton absorbed the hit as if it were nothing. Once again, the creature sent a mighty slash towards the young hero. This attempt hit it's target and blood streamed from Nightwing's left torso and leg. He fell to the ground in pain. The Doctor was holding tight onto his screwdriver, trying to hurry the process before Vector left the circle. It was too late; the creature was about the break the threshold. Alanna then ran to the back of the creature to try and pull it back into the circle. The Doctor screamed in protest as the brave astronaut moved towards Vector. Like swatting a bug, Vector sent Alanna to the ground with ease.

The Doctor screamed to Alanna as Vector, now clear of the circle, set his sights for him. The Doctor lowered his screwdriver and looked Vector in the eyes. He started to walk towards the beast with steely determination in his eyes. Before The Doctor could take a step, he heard the honk of a car horn. The Doctor turned his head to see a red mini-cooper speeding over the Hospital grass towards the monster. It hit Vector with a loud crash and sent him back into the circle. The Doctor took this opportunity and re-pointed his screwdriver at the ring of poles. Vector cried out in agony again, and fell to his knees. He tried to stand up, using the small red car to regain his balance, but he fell to the ground again. His exoskeleton began to crack, and Marvin Marburg collapsed naked on the ground in his human skin again.

A beautiful red-haired woman wearing a pants suit stepped out of the remains of her new red mini-cooper.

"A vast ye foul sea-dogs!" said Erin Crehan as she stepped away from the wreckage. She gave The Doctor a familiar wink.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Serpents

-About one hour before the incident at the Hospital-

Erin Crehan was being ushered through Arkham Asylum by a pair of armed guards wearing all black and face shields. Erin's thick red hair was put up and she wore an all gray pants suit that made her feel very uncomfortable. She wore black leggings, but missed the full coverage her usual sweatpants gave her. She had just started as a counselor at Gotham General Hospital. The whole "dressing up and putting on make-up" thing was never her scene. She came to Arkham because one of her patients had just been admitted to the facility. Arkham Asylum is a psychiatric hospital for the clinically insane, and has a reputation for housing some of the most dangerous criminals that Gotham City has. Erin needed to make sure that her patient was NOT admitted permanently.

The guards escorted Erin to an all white room where her patient waited for her. Alfred Cruz was admitted last week to Gotham General Hospital for a broken arm. He was Erin's first case as a counselor, and she really enjoyed the one-hour session they spent together. He was a sweet and sensitive older man with an amazing sense of humor. He was in his late 40's with patches of gray threatening to take over his light brown hair.

Alfred's case was special. He lost his six-year-old son to a hit and run driver almost a year ago. It was last Christmas Eve. That night, Alfred, his son, and his wife Angela sat around the television watching some animated Holiday special. His son had begged him repeatedly to let him open up just one gift, but mom was adamant about waiting until the morning. Alfred joined his son in the pleading, and eventually his wife gave in. Alfred wanted to share his love of futbol with his son, and got his son a soccer ball with the colors of their country. The boy immediately ran outside to play with the ball.

"Stay in the front yard!" yelled Angela after her son as the front door swung closed.

And that he did. The boy kicked the ball up and down the driveway until Alfred came out to retrieve him for bed. The rest happened very quickly. The driver jumped the curve, slid over the front lawn, and slammed into the young boy right in front of Alfred's eyes. The driver, obviously drunk and distressed, quickly reversed off of their lawn and kept driving. The car was a dark blue sedan. Alfred ran to his son, screaming for his wife Angela. The boy was dead upon impact.

The next couple of months were hard for the couple. Alfred took up drinking and his relationship with Angela became very strained. His drinking affected his work, and he was let go from his job. Angela left him soon after. He moved into a single room apartment downtown. He was driving home from a local bar when he swore he saw the blue sedan that hit his son. He followed the driver to his home and saw the man's face. He swore to everything he held true that this man's face was the same one he saw back out of his front lawn.

The next day, Alfred called the police to tell them that he found the hit and run driver from last Christmas Eve. They said they would look into it. He called them back multiple times for an update. He tried calling Angela, but she wouldn't listen to him. He waited another two months, calling every day until finally the police told him that the man Alfred found was not the hit and run driver. Over and over Alfred pleaded with them to listen. He swore that this was the man who took his son away from him, but the police were sure that he was mistaken. It was a dark night when Alfred had a little bit too much to drink. He purchased a gun on the street from some shady gentlemen who belonged to an infamous crime family. Alfred then drove over to the neighborhood where he had seen the blue sedan pull into. As he pulled into the block, so did the blue car.

Alfred followed him up the stairs to his apartment and knocked on the door of the driver. The apartment owner opened the door, but kept the chain on so the door could not open fully. Alfred was slurring his speech and screaming obscenities at the man in his angry drunken state. Under his jacket, he had a firm grip on his newly purchased gun. The man called the police as Alfred attempted to break the door down. Batman arrived before the police. He had seen Alfred tailing the man, and watched the commotion as he attempted to break the door down. Alfred pointed his gun at Batman, tears in his eyes. He never pulled the trigger. Batman closed the distance between them in less than a second, bent Alfred's right arm behind his back, and slammed him into the ground.

The police picked Alfred up and took him to Gotham General to get his arm treated. There was a clean break in both bones of the forearm. A psychological evaluation was requested, and Erin Crehan was on call. They spoke about Angela, they spoke about his son, and they spoke about what happened that night. He was a sweet enough man, who was unfortunately swept by his emotions and the influence of alcohol into doing something he regretted. Erin wrote up his evaluation, and was preparing a report for Alfred's court case. She concluded that he never actually intended to fire the gun, and should continue to receive counseling for the loss of his son. Her evaluation was not reviewed and Alfred was placed into Arkham Asylum for the criminally insane.

Erin wanted to meet Alfred to tell him that she was doing everything she can to get him out of Arkham. Erin had an extreme sense of justice that she developed during her years of college. It wasn't something she learned in any particular class or club, but a different extracurricular activity. She spent summers, winters, spring breaks, and long weekends traveling through time and space with an eccentric alien in a little blue box. They jumped world-to-world, righting wrongs and thwarting the creatures that go bump in the night.

"Mr. Cruz, you have a hearing in four days. I am so sorry, but you are going to have to spend those four days here."

The tears that he shed upon hearing this broke Erin's heart. But she was going to move Heaven and Earth to make sure that Alfred did not wind up back here. The guards brought Alfred to his cell. It was small and water leaked by the back right window into a small puddle. The sounds of the drops helped Alfred fall to sleep. He was awoken by the call of his name.

"Alfred," the voice called, "Alfred Cruz."

He looked around the room confused. It was still early afternoon, and there was a lot of noise outside of his cell. But this voice came in as clearly as if from his cell.

"Who is there?" he answered.

"It is kind of ridiculous how this planet works," replied the mysterious voice. "A man does something to avenge his progeny's death and they _imprison_ him? What a brutish species you are!"

Alfred jumped out of bed and realized the voice was coming from the puddle. He could almost see small black fibers, like small serpents squirming, around the shallow depression of water.

"Alfred, a new order is coming to this planet," said the voice in the water. "Things will change drastically."

"Diablo! I want nothing to do with you!" screamed Alfred as he stared at the swimming black fibers.

"Oh, but I want something to do with you. This past year was rough on you. The winds of this Universe are harsh. On some they blow seeds that grow into beautiful forests, and on others they blow flames!"

Alfred jumped out of bed and screamed to the puddle, "LEAVE ME ALONE DEMON!"

"Alfred! We have both been burned by this Universe!" screamed the voice. "What I am offering you is a chance to blow those flames we bequeathed in our favor!"

"Shut up! LEAVE ME ALONE!" screamed Alfred, his fists balled up and his eyes sweltering with tears.

"I will not leave you! I will not leave you like Angela did! I will not leave you alone like the Universe did to us! The demons that you and I have faced Alfred may be different, but they still took everything from us!"

Alfred dropped to his knees as the voice rang with more and more truth. He opened up his hands, and two white balls of fire hovered in his palms.

A whole wing of Arkham Asylum went up in flames. About 28 inmates saw this as a chance to escape. The young hero Nightwing came and recaptured about 20 of them. Eight were still at large, including Alfred Cruz.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Sheep

- An hour after the incident at the Hospital -

Alanna came home to her little midtown Gotham apartment. She fumbled at her keys in anticipation of seeing her fiancé Freddy. She had been away for a year and missed his face so much. They had video chats from the International Space Station all the time, but she was dying to hold him. She gave up on her keys and knocked anxiously for him to answer the door. The door swung open quickly and she threw up her hands to hug him, but to her surprise it was The Doctor who answered the door.

"What are you doing here!" she screamed in surprise.

"Alanna!" screamed Freddy from behind The Doctor, and ran to her with open arms.

Freddy explained to her how The Doctor had arrived right before she did. The Doctor told Freddy that his name was "John Smith" and that he was one of her compatriots on the Space Station. And to Alanna's dismay, they all sat down to dinner.

"Honey, your friend John is hilarious," Freddy laughed, as The Doctor told an anecdote about a Dinner Party he had been at involving Lizard people and Abraham Lincoln.

Alanna did not like this. She was looking forward to quality time alone with her fiancé. But she would have traded away all the alone time in the world, if she could just have some of the pizza they ordered!

"That's right!" apologized Freddy for ordering her favorite food. "John explained that you still need to adjust to being back on Earth, and had to stay on a strict diet of astronaut food for another week."

The Doctor had explained to Alanna earlier that, since the ceaseless rain started, something extra was in the water. The same something that caused Marburg to turn into that creature back at the hospital. She couldn't drink or eat anything from Earth until everything was sorted out. She sat there eating her dehydrated milk powder with a scowl on her face as The Doctor amused Freddy with more stories.

"Hey John, do you want another soda?" asked Freddy as he opened a can for himself.

"Freddy!" Alanna exclaimed, "You are diabetic! You can't drink that!"

"Not anymore sweetie!" he said with a huge smile on his face.

"What do you mean not anymore?"

"I'll show you! We're going to church!"

Alanna had known Freddy most of their adult life. He wasn't the most religious person in the world, so she found it strange that they were going to church. It was dark, wet, and windy out, as the three of them packed together under one small green umbrella. The Doctor was a head taller than Alanna and Freddy, so he held the umbrella and spun an arm between each of them. Alanna's scowl deepened. She brought along the large duffle bag that had the electromagnetic rods that they used at the hospital, as well as the makeshift electromagnetic radiation detector The Doctor had put together on The Tardis.

They arrived at an old church in the neighborhood that Alanna had passed hundreds of times before. It was very old and its doors were always boarded up in the past. Tonight was different, as many people were funneling into the large old doors. At the front door, a large man in a trench coat greeted them. He was an intimidating man, with large arms, bruises healing on his face, and thick powerful eyebrows.

"Freddy my man!" he exclaimed as the trio arrived at the door.

"Tony!" Freddy responded with a hug.

"And this beautiful woman must be the Alanna! We've heard so much about you! Welcome sister! Today is a wondrous day for our group."

Alanna didn't like how friendly this guy was. But she loved Freddy and wanted to see what was going on. The Doctor regarded the situation with extreme disinterest as he examined the interior of the church.

"So like I was saying before," Freddy started as they settled into a pew. "Amazing things have been happening ever since the rain started. People have been cured of diseases that seemingly had no cures before. Cancers into remissions, diabetes vanquished, the blind able to see! This 'Doctor' is a miracle worker."

At this both Alanna and The Doctor looked at each other. Another man going by the name "The Doctor". And this guy was curing diseases and causing miracles? The reception began as the lights dimmed around them.

The church was stripped of all of the statues and symbols of it's original form of its worship. But the mechanics were similar. A man stood in the front and preached. A shorter, well dressed, man with a thick mustache. He was very energetic and jumped between aisles talking about how the rain was to "cleanse us of our sins and usher in a new age. An age of miracles that the weak, poor, and downtrodden would inherit… " Alanna fought to stay awake and looked over at The Doctor, who was checking his sonic screwdriver underneath his jacket. Then the other man who went by the name "The Doctor" was introduced. He walked into the church from a back room escorted by a middle aged Hispanic man named Alfred Cruz. He was greeted with a standing ovation. Cheers and screams echoed from the church walls.

A line started to form down the middle of the church, where people were hoping to receive one of the aforementioned miracles. The man was covered in a large brown hood. The trio could not see his face from where they sat, but could tell that he was very tall and thin. A stool was set up in front of the altar, and one by one people came to be received by him.

"Doctor," Alanna whispered as she reached into the duffle bag to get the EM radiation detector. The needle was spinning wildly with every person who moved and received a "miracle" from the faux Doctor.

"We have to get closer," The Doctor whispered back, as he got up and got on line. Alanna followed closely behind, giving Freddy a reassuring smile. The Doctor waited very impatiently to meet this other man going by the name "The Doctor." He strained his head trying to get a peak under his hood, at his hands, at any kind of clue he could acquire.

They stood on the line and were still ten people away when a loud bang came from the back. The sound repeated and it was obvious that it was coming from the door. Once more the sound came, and with it the doors to the church shattered inwards. Tony, the doorman, was sent flying into the church. Wind and rain followed him and the shards of the door. He came to a rolling stop down the middle of the aisles, and there in the threshold of the church stood Batman.

"I am sorry everyone. Do not be alarmed," started the man with the thick mustache in the front. "Our brother Batman must be here because he wishes to leave the shadows and have his sins washed away by the rain as well."

Batman slowly moved to the front of the church. A trail of water dragged behind his long black cape. Everyone remaining on line cleared a path for him as he made a direct line towards the fake "Doctor". The church was in a frenzy of whispers and shuffling feet at this commotion.

"Alright everyone," started the man with the thick mustache again, trying to regain control. "We are going to call today's session a little short. Please feel free to join us tomorrow at the same time."

Everyone nervously made for the exit. Alanna could see Freddy's frame leave out the door with everyone else. The Doctor grabbed Alanna's hand and the two of them hid behind a pillar in the back of the church to watch. Almost everyone had left when Batman moved carefully and directly to close the distance with the man on the stool. Batman was 20 yards from the other "Doctor" when he stopped his advance. The man with the mustache stood uneasily off to the side, his hands folded in front of him nervously. Alfred stood behind them both, resolve ironed hard onto his face, not blinking as he stared Batman down.

"I don't know who you are," boomed Batman's deep voice, "But there is a large amount of Electromagnetic Radiation coming from this church. You are going to have to come with me Doctor."

Alanna watched as Batman reached for something from his belt, but abandoned that pursuit and jumped backwards instead. The spot Batman had been standing on exploded in a large hot flame that Alanna could feel from the back of the church. The cause of the flame was Alfred Cruz, standing behind the imposter Doctor, cradling a small white flame in his right hand. Again he flicked his wrist toward Batman, and the next white flame moved towards Batman, who ducked between aisles. Again, a hot explosion erupted – sending flaming splinters of church benches in all directions.

"Get him out of here!" Alfred commanded, as the mustached man ushered the imposter Doctor through the back of the church. More fireballs flew as Batman darted around pillars and pews. Batman dived into a roll between two pillars and flung a batarang towards Alfred. The projectile moved with insane speed and accuracy, but it exploded in mid air a few feet away from its intended target.

"Now is our chance Alanna," said The Doctor grabbing her arm again. "We have to get that other Doctor."

The pair of them ran out of what remained of the door to the church, and moved through the alley they hoped connected to the back of the church. They reached the adjacent street and could see the fake Doctor under his hood running down the street. Their attention was temporarily stolen, as they saw a large explosion above the church. Alfred and Batman's fight had somehow reached the roof. Alfred's body was now engulfed in fire and streams of red-hot flame were crashing into the roof around Batman like waves on stone. The flames around Alfred continued to grow until his body was engulfed in a flame 30 feet wide. The flames started to take a human form around Alfred. The torso and arms of a giant burning man swung towards batman. The roof of the church collapsed at the structural damage from Alfred's attack. Batman and the gigantic burning man plummeted down into the burning church.

"Alanna!" The Doctor screamed trying to regain her attention.

"Yeah sorry!" and they looked back down the street to see the imposter Doctor moving to a monorail station. If they let him get on a train, they would never catch him again. They ran to the station and up the stairs when the largest explosion yet demanded both of their attention to behind them. The church had exploded, and most of the block was in flames. The giant, burning man monster roared as it pulled itself out of the remains of the church. The fire around Alfred slowly receded back into his body and he was left standing, unscathed in the wreckage that had been the church. The train was arriving above Alanna and The Doctor, so they did not have much time before the imposter Doctor would escape, but the pair took an extra second to face the fact that they may have just witnessed the death of Batman.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Humans

With the heat of the burning church behind them, The Doctor and Alanna continued up the stairs to the monorail station. There the hooded man got onto one of the train cars with the mustached preacher. The Doctor and Alanna made it onto the platform and onto the train right before the automatic doors shut them out.

The train car was not very busy at this time of night. There were a couple of businessmen towards the side of the car The Doctor and his companion were on. Across the train car sat a woman and her son, sharing a bag of popcorn. And at the very back of the carriage were the short man with the thick mustache and the other man who went by the name "The Doctor."

The real Doctor walked across the car determinedly; ready to face off with the man who was using his name. Alanna followed him carefully. They were face to face in a few steps. The rest of the passengers didn't seem to notice. The Doctor reached over and pulled off the hood to reveal the mysterious man's identity.

Alanna was surprised at just how alien the man's face was. The most alarming thing was that his face was covered in blue scales. The man had pointed ears, and the rest of the features of his face were also particularly sharp. His head was devoid of any hair. No facial hair, no eyebrows; just a continuation of those blue scales. His teeth were pointed, like that of a shark. He was very lean and stood up to reveal himself to also be very tall, at almost 7 feet.

"Are you responsible for this rain?"

"Hello Doctor," said the mysterious alien calmly and slowly, ignoring The Doctor's question.

"Who are you?" started The Doctor. "I know we haven't met before."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because," responded The Doctor, "If you did know me, you would know how bad an idea it is to use my name and incur my annoyance."

The mysterious man let out a very peculiar laugh. It had a strange whistle to it, as air escaped through his sharp teeth. Alanna looked around, but again none of the other passengers seemed to notice. They weren't at all concerned with the idea that two aliens were about to go at it during their evening commute.

"Doctor," started the strange alien, "I use your name because it is something truly frightening. The Doctor! The lone survivor of the Great Time War! I watched out my window as the stars of the constellation Kasterborous were blown out one by one."

"Stop!" screamed The Doctor.

"Yes!" the blue alien continued, "How many nights sleep have you lost thinking about all those lives you saw fit to discard? What types of justifications did you create?"

The Doctor's hands were balled up into fists. Alanna may not have known him long, but had never imagined this side of him. His face was flushed with blood and his whole body began to shake.

"My planet was just another speck of light to you," started the faux Doctor again. "A calculated loss made by the Almighty Doctor. You see; you and I are the same. Thanks to you, I am also the last of my kind. Except it seems you have moved on. Found a new planet, and cradle these simple creatures!"

"Don't you dare-" The Doctor started, but was interrupted when Alanna took his shaking hand in hers.

"Doctor?" she said looking up at his face. Trails of tears led from his eyes to his cheeks. He calmed himself and wiped his face with his free hand.

The alien started again, "That's right. You think you can atone for the horrors you have committed by fighting this planet's battles for it. Then I am going to turn your beloved humans against you. The creatures that you love so much will make me their God and rip you apart with their own hands."

Alanna looked around and saw that all of the other passengers in the train had stood up. The mom and child, whom were closest to them, started to move towards her and The Doctor. Their eyes were completely white and they walked as if possessed.

"Doctor!" Alanna screamed, as the mom moved past her. The Doctor turned and the woman grabbed him by his shirt and lifted him clean off the ground with ease. His legs dangled a foot above the floor.

"You took everything away from me. Allow me to repay you!" screamed the faux Doctor.

The businessmen were now closing in from the other side of the train. The child grabbed Alanna's arm and squeezed tight. Alanna held back a yelp of pain. The child was impossibly strong and she couldn't free herself from his grip. She looked over to see the heavily mustached preacher. His eyes were also now white, and he was also moving towards them.

"Do you know why you could never be The Doctor?" started The Doctor to the blue alien. "It's because rule number one of being The Doctor is to never use anyone as a means to an end." The Doctor lightly put his hands on the woman's wrist. Strength drained out of her and she slowly put him down. He then moved over to the young boy and patted him on his head softly. At this, the boy let go of his grip on Alanna.

"You see, they are not a means," said The Doctor with a smile, "They are everything."

The Doctor hooked an arm around Alanna's arm and reached into his pocket for his Sonic Screwdriver. Then he held onto one of the handrails of the train car. With a mechanical bubbling sound, the blue light of the Sonic Screwdriver went off. The train came to a very sudden halt that sent all of the passengers to the ground. The Doctor held on tightly to the rail, and even tighter to Alanna.

The faux Doctor and the fellow fallen passengers began to get to their feet. The Doctor snapped his fingers and the train doors opened. He led Alanna out onto the platform that read "Kane Avenue."

"Oh no, don't get up on my behalf," joked The Doctor. "We'll see each other soon enough." The Doctor left the train car and snapped his fingers again. The doors to the train closed and the train was back on its way. A mechanical wheezing sound rang through their ears as The Tardis materialized on the platform next to them.

Erin Crehan jumped out of the doors of the blue box. "What'd I miss?"


End file.
